...And the conversation somehow drifted to 'Al Tishali Oti'. Declared one blogger, "If I was the sabra, I wouldn't post so cryptically'. "If I was the sabra", said another, "I wouldn't use so many Hebrew & Yiddish words." Another blogger chimed in, "If I owned 'Al Tishali Oti', I would be more consistent with colors n content." "I wouldn't be sarcastic to commenters", muttered another, darkly. One blogger added not. "I have nothing to say, for 'To know the sabra is to be the sabra'."

Friday, December 30, 2011

I've been dreaming of this day for ages. Well, this has been the first stage of my dream. The final stage is of holding Esther's CD in my hands. AHHHHHHHHH I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Esther, I wish you bucketloads of luck and only good easy fun incredible times!

Girls (only!), check out this phenomenal webpage where you can experience all your worlds, emotions, deeds and thoughts bridged into one encouraging uplifting journey of a song. And then another one. And another one. And another one.

The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, from the Tibetan Plateau. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia.

Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam established the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in 1995 to assist in the management and coordinated use of the Mekong's resources. In 1996 China and Burma became "dialogue partners" of the MRC and the six countries now work together within a cooperative framework.The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls in this river have made navigation difficult.

In English the river is called "the Mekong River", derived from "Mae Nam Khong", a term of both Thai and Lao origin. In the Lao-Thai toponymy, all great rivers are considered "mother rivers" signalled by the prefix "mae", meaning "mother", and "nam" for water. In the Mekong's case, Mae Nam Khong means Khong, Mother of Water. "Khong" is derived from the Sanskrit "ganga", meaning the Ganges.

The Mekong basin is one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. Only the Amazon boasts a higher level of biodiversity. Biota estimates for the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) include 20,000 plant species, 430 mammals, 1,200 birds, 800 reptiles and amphibians and an estimated 850 fish species. In 2009, 145 new species were described from the Mekong Region, comprising 29 fish species previously unknown to science, two new bird species, ten reptiles, five mammals, 96 plants and six new amphibians. The Mekong Region contains 16 WWF Global 200 ecoregions, the greatest concentration of ecoregions in mainland Asia.

No other river is home to so many species of very large fish. The biggest include the giant river carp (Probarbus jullieni), which can grow up to 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) and weigh 70 kilograms (150 lb), the Mekong Freshwater Stingray (Himantura chaophraya), which can have a wingspan of up to 4.3 metres (14 ft), the giant pangasius (Pangasius sanitwongsei), Siamese giant carp (Catlocarpio siamensis) and the endemic Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), all three of which can grow up to about 3 metres (9 ft 10 in) in length and weigh 300 kilograms (660 lb). All of these are in serious decline, both because of dams and flood control and overfishing

Balls of light are observable from time to time rising from the water's surface in the stretch of the river near Vientiane or Nong Khai. These are sometimes referred to as Naga fireballs.

I keep landing up at Facebook. Hey, sometimes I need more immediate expression. But quick fixes don't always work. And now I just deleted my status when I realized that every Tom, Dick and Harry can read my soul. I don't always know when it's my soul.
Travel is.

B"H, I've traveled through approximately 14% of the world's undisputed countries. Not bad.

New York to Toronto was a 12 hour bus ride and the train from Mumbai to Varanasi was 30 hours long, yet my longest journeys have been in my heart and taken me across incredibly challenging borders in only 60 seconds.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Ultimately, Darkness will meet her end. Our choice lies only in the form of her demise:

If we meet nothing but success at every stage of our mission, Darkness will helplessly surrender, delivering to our hand all the sparks of G‑dliness that she has so jealously held.

When we fail, however, we have taken upon ourselves to wrestle Darkness face-to-face to her utter annihilation. She will not surrender, but no trace will be left of her. She herself will be transformed to light.

And there is no greater light than Darkness herself transformed to light.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

I won't lie; it is a bit emotional to be packing up my life from here.
The place I thought I'd spend a year; and now I'm leaving less than 4 months later.
True, I am planning on returning in a month; but it's only for 2 weeks, and it might not even happen in the end.
Also, I don't know what I'm doing afterward; packing up my life from this place also symbolizes stepping into the very unknown.
The thought normally thrills, not scares, me; I wonder why it's different now.
Perhaps because I thought I was finally finally settling down; and now I'm packing up again.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

If Joseph, Yosef Hatzadik, could forgive his brothers that wanted to kill him (after openly hating him) and then ended up selling him to passing Arabs, I could forgive the people in my life, as well. Small small things we're talking about. No comparison. Yet, he did it so graciously. Learn, I must.

Also, that is mad cool, picture the scene of Yosef second in command, sitting on this throne, falsely swearing on Pharoah's life, prophesying with his magical goblet, his brothers completely clueless..

Friday, December 09, 2011

People ask, “How can I have confidence in G‑d? Confidence that He will take care of me, that everything will work out for the best? Perhaps I don’t deserve the best. Perhaps I’ve already messed up so bad He no longer cares about me?”

These people have trust in G‑d all mixed up.

Trust is not faith. Faith is something you may or may not have. But trust is something you do. Hard.

Trust is when you are dragged by the currents of a mighty river and you cling with all your might to a rock you trust will not move. Trust is when, in times of trouble, you cleave so unshakably to the heavens that you pull them down to earth.

Trust is a mighty and heroic bonding of love. And, as with all love, it is reflected in the heart of the beloved. You bond with the Eternal Rock above, and the Above bonds with you. Then you are a fit vessel for all kinds of good.

Trust changes who you are. It changes your whole world. And it is available to anybody, at any moment, no matter who they were the moment before.

Lipa's new song, "Duchsin", is thought to be phenomenal. It's really short but it's so scholarly that you don't even realize. It's a bit awkward in the beginning but then it gets really catchy. People are considering flying across the country just to hear it live. Seems a bit extreme to me. I'd say go online a bit, check it out, and then see if it's worth it. But nu, who am I? Not a Duchsin connoisseur, apparently.

Sunday, December 04, 2011

You cannot reach deeper within another than you reach in your own self.
If you love yourself for your achievements, your current assets, the way you do things and handle the world -- and despise yourself for failure in the same -- it follows that your relationship with another will also be transient and superficial.
To achieve deep and lasting love of another person, you need to first experience the depth within yourself -- an inner core that doesn't change with time or events. If it is the true essence, it is an essence shared by the other person as well, and deep love becomes unavoidable.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

‘This is a stunning book. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, it’s a classic coffee table book, best perused on a rainy afternoon with a cup of coffee in one hand and your passport in the other, just in case you get the urge to flee the country.’ Digital Camera Magazine

What is a sabra?
A sabra is a form of cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica, that grows extensively in Israel.
The fruit of the sabra has a thick peel with a sharp spine and is covered in prickly thorns. Once the rough and deterring exterior is peeled away, however, you will reach the contrasting sweet pulp.
Authentic Israelis are often referred to as "sabras" because they tend to be outwardly tough and coarse, but once you get to know them they really are a soft, sweet and sensitive people.